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Science Vs

Magic Mushrooms: Trip Through the Science

Science Vs

Spotify Studios

Education, Science, Health & Fitness

4.412.4K Ratings

🗓️ 10 December 2020

⏱️ 38 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Magic mushrooms have hit the headlines, with people saying that shrooms cured their depression and anxiety. But is this for real? How can taking a trip on psychedelics fix your brain? Today, magic mushrooms ditch their tie dye for a lab coat as we go on a magical journey into the science. We talk to clinical psychologists Dr. Alan Davis and Dr. Albert Garcia-Romeu, and neuropsychologist Dr. Katrin Preller. Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/37Th8QX This episode does deal with depression. Here are some crisis hotlines:  United States: US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (2755) (Online chat available); US Crisis Text Line Text “GO” to 741741 Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14 (Online chat available) Canada: Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (See link for phone numbers listed by province) United Kingdom: Samaritans 116 123 (UK and ROI) Full list of international hotlines here  This episode was produced by Meryl Horn and Michelle Dang with help from Wendy Zukerman, Nick DelRose, Rose Rimler and Hannah Harris Green. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Marcus Bagala, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord. A huge thanks to all the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Prof. David Nichols, Dr. James Rucker, Prof. Bryan Roth, Dr. Erika Dyck, Dr. Daniel Wacker, Mary Cosimano, Dr. Fred Barrett, Dr. Natalie Gukasyan, Dr. Jeff Guss, Dr. Suresh Muthukumaraswamy, Prof. Harriet de Wit, Dr. Nadia Hutten, Dr. Vince Polito, Dr. Kim Kuypers and Dr. Matt Kasson. Thanks to all the clinical trial participants and ‘psychonauts’ who spoke to us. And special thanks to Lexi Krupp, the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hi, I'm Wendy Zuckerman and you're listening to Science Versus from Gimlet.

0:04.0

A quick warning before we get started. On this show we'll be discussing depression.

0:09.0

So please take care when you're listening. And if you are feeling depressed or you just want to talk to someone,

0:14.0

in the US you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.

0:22.0

We'll put links in our show notes. Okay, let's get started.

0:27.0

This is the show that pits facts against pharmaceutical fungi.

0:38.0

On today's show, Magic Mushrooms.

0:43.0

For decades we've kind of seen them as your hippie mums psychedelics.

0:48.0

But now there's an underground movement that reckons they can use this drug to cure things

0:54.0

like depression and anxiety.

0:59.0

I'm someone who has suffered from, you know, I would say very severe anxiety attacks my entire life.

1:08.0

We're going to call this guy Joseph.

1:10.0

And he can remember having these anxiety attacks as far back as preschool.

1:14.0

And when he says severe, this is what he means.

1:18.0

Stomachic, queesiness, usually dry heaving or vomiting, a lot of tears, a lot of crying, and just, you know, like the world's going to end.

1:29.0

These anxiety attacks could sometimes go for days at a time.

1:33.0

And Joseph grew up learning to deal with them. He fell in love, got married, had two kids.

1:39.0

But then something happened that brought it all back.

1:43.0

A couple of years ago, he found out that his wife was having an affair.

1:47.0

She was in love with someone else.

1:50.0

And that's when it, you know, all hit me.

1:53.0

I mean, I immediately spiraled into, you know, horrible anxiety.

...

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